Hot tips

It might seem like more trouble than its worth learning how to make your heating system work as effectively and efficiently as possible. However, by spending just a little time setting the right temperature and ensuring that the system is only on when required then you will be able to cut your energy bills substantially.

Heating

Your room thermostat should be set to the lowest comfortable temperature - typically between 18°C and 21°C. Try turning your thermostat down a degree or two and seeing if your home maintains a pleasant temperature.

If you have a programmer or timer, set it so that the heating only comes on when needed. If you are out of the house during the day then it shouldn't be left switched on all the time and for most people, it won’t be needed at night while asleep.

Modern homes generally warm up quite quickly and can retain a comfortable temperature for a while. Older homes, particularly those with solid walls, can take a while to warm up. On a cold evening, time how long it takes for your house to warm up from cold to a comfortable temperature – this is the warm up time. Once the house has reached the set temperature, turn the heating off completely and time how long it takes for the house to cool slightly until it’s starting to get a bit less comfortable – this is the cool down time.

Lowering your thermostat by just 1°C could save you around £55 a year.

You can now set your programmer so that the heating switches on in the evening, just in time to get your home up to the right temperature for when you return home, and have it switch off again a bit before you go to sleep so that the house will be starting to cool down by the time you get into bed. Do the same in the morning so that it switches on a bit before you wake up and switches off just before you leave the house.

If you improve the energy efficiency of your home, perhaps by installing loft or cavity wall insulation, your house will heat up and cool down at a different rate. In order to maximise the savings which you can achieve from the insulation, try reducing the time your heating system is switched on.

'Bleed' radiators from time to time to remove unwanted air from your heating system and keep your radiators working at their maximum output. The heating system should be switched off when you do this so that more air isn't drawn into the system.

Hot Water

Your water needn't be heated to too high a temperature. Your hot water cylinder thermostat should be set at only 60°C or 140°F. Any higher is a waste of energy; any lower and there may be risks of legionella bacteria forming.

Your hot water should also be set to come on only when needed. It is quite a widespread myth that it is more efficient to leave your hot water on all the time however this is not the case: it takes a certain amount of energy to heat the water in your hot water cylinder to the required temperature. If you switch it on just in time to heat up the water for when you need it, it will use this amount of energy; but if you have it on for any longer, you will need to keep adding energy to keep it warm. More energy means more money…

For most households the water will be switched on once for the morning and once for the evening. If your home has low hot water demand and a well insulated cylinder, it may be sufficient to have the hot water come on once just before you wake up only, with enough warm water being left over to clean the dishes that evening. Experiment to see which works best.

A hot water jacket costs only around £12

If your tank has an old, thin insulation jacket, fit a BS Kitemarked insulating jacket, 75mm or 3 inches thick, around your hot water tank. It can save you around £35 a year - and as it will only cost around £12 to buy, will pay for itself in well under a year. Insulate the hot water pipes that run between your boiler and hot water cylinder - to save an extra £10 a year. This is best done when you have access to the pipes - for example when pipes are exposed during renovation work.